12 Meaningful Quotes That Actually Made Me Pause and Reflect

These meaningful quotes made me introspect. They may provide you with moments of insight too.

“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”

(Bob Dylan)

At times, we get so lost in our thoughts that we forget to notice what is here – in front of us, right now. Everyone will somehow pass through life, but you need to pay attention to this moment and soak it fully to truly experience life.

“And when they played they really played. And when they worked they really worked.”

(Dr Seuss)

And I think they were happy. This quote again states the same thing in a different way. It urges you to be completely present wherever you are and whatever you are doing. This is difficult, but quite achievable if you practice coming back to the present moment no matter what activity you are performing, again and again. Whenever I have been able to do this successfully, I have felt a different kind of peace.

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.”

(Winnie the Pooh)

This is one of the simplest, yet most meaningful quotes on this page. Winnie says that long and detailed analysis of the origin of life is not necessary. Just come back to this moment. Look at what is around you with curious eyes. All that is to know is here, right now. What a wonderful quote!

“Do what your heart truly desires because they’ll damn you if you do and they’ll damn you if you don’t.”

(Eleanor Roosevelt)

So many times in life, we try to please others and forget about what we truly want to do. Eleanor makes the futility of that approach clear. We will be criticized or commented upon no matter what we do. It is not possible to please everyone – you just can’t do that! Therefore, the most sensible thing to do is to follow your heart. It is difficult, but is very satisfying in the long run.

“Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.”

(George Carlin)

Definitely one of the most meaningful quotes ever. There are times when no one believes in your dream. No one else really sees what you see happening. Your dream is yours alone. Only you can see how wonderful it will be to realize it. When you are criticized by others at such times, George Carlin’s words can provide solace.

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”

(Life’s Little Instruction Book, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr)

Many of us complain that we don’t have enough time to work on our dreams, to not study, to not keep commitments or to do anything else that we want to do. But, indeed, the astonishing fact is that all those great people mentioned above had the exact same time that we have! I mean, of course they also had 24 hours in a day. Then, what are we complaining about? Why don’t we stop giving excuses and just get to work?

“History shows us that the people who end up changing the world – the great political, social, scientific, technological, artistic, even sports revolutionaries – are always nuts, until they are right, and then they are geniuses.”

(John Eliot)

I interpret that saying to mean: The greatest people in any field dare to be different. They are criticized and called names for a long time. But, they still keep going and don’t give up. This is a lesson for me and you – choose to do what you think is right, don’t give up because you are afraid of what others will say. Eventually, others will get it too and then you will be called ‘great’.

“Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.”

(Randy Pausch)

Randy Pausch gave one of the most famous speeches in the world called ‘Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams’ after he was diagnosed with cancer. He uttered the lines above when he already knew he was going to die soon. That line therefore, coming from him, means something.

“As soon as anyone starts telling you to be “realistic,” cross that person off your invitation list.”

(John Eliot)

I wish I could meet John Eliot. I mean, he’s the kind of person I would love to be around. He’s asking us not to waste our time thinking about what other people will think and to forge our own path instead. Associate more with people who encourage you to be yourself – that’s what he’s saying.

“How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”

(Trina Paulus)

Many times we want more money, more happiness and more meaning in our life. Trina puts it beautifully as she reminds us that we also need to let go of many of our current limiting beliefs to become the kind of person who will get all these things. To fly, you need to let go of the fear of failing, the fear of being ridiculed and the fear of losing everything you thought was You.

“The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor; he took my measurement anew every time he saw me, while all the rest went on with their old measurements and expected them to fit me.”

(George Bernard Shaw)

Bernard Shaw of course, was the master of words. He puts it perfectly as he points out how all of us judge others not for who they are, but what they have been in the past. We would all be better off, if we judged people for who they “could be” and didn’t apply labels to them. The fool today has the potential to become a genius tomorrow.

“The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention.”

(Richard Moss)

Whenever we ‘listen’ to another person, most of the time, we are thinking of what to say next. If we can just shut up for some time and completely pay attention to what the other person is trying to say, we will feel beautiful. And, the other person will love it too. (I am as guilty of this ‘mental chatter’ habit as any of you reading this!)

Well, I hope you liked those meaningful quotes and found them to be inspiring. I recommend that you choose any one of these quotes as today’s inspirational thought of the day and start taking action right away. All the best!